Melissa Barnes Memorial Blood Drive
Give blood on August 15th at Grace Bible Church and help trauma patients

Donated blood is a lifesaving gift most healthy people can give. The community is encouraged to donate blood on August 15th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Grace Bible Church, to help those who have been seriously injured and need blood products to help them recover. It's the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives.

Melissa Linette Williams Barnes was born April 9, 1952 in Las Animas, Colorado, to Theodore (Ted) Williams and Virginia Lisher Williams. She tragically died Sunday June 25, 2017, due to a savage dog attack at her home in Bozeman.

Every day, the American Red Cross must collect nearly 14,000 blood donations to meet the needs of trauma patients and others with serious medical conditions. While all blood types are needed, type O negative donors are especially important. Because it is the universal blood type and can be transfused to patients of any blood type, type O negative blood is what emergency personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations.

To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire found at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.